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Photo by http://www.graphxdesigns.com
Broken shock slows Stephen Allard in Chico before scoring top 10 in Tulare on Saturday
By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA – May 11, 2008…Competing aboard the H.A.M. Construction No. 35a for the second time this season defending Silver Dollar Speedway track champ Stephen Allard looked to be on his way to a great run before a shock issue put an end to his bid at victory. On Saturday he then made the long haul to Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway and gutted out the main event for a ninth place finish.
Allard and the Main Motorsports team used this past Friday’s Feather Falls Casino event at the Silver Dollar Speedway as a tune-up for next weekend’s Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial. The Chico racer drove the 35a JEI sprinter to a second place finish during his first outing in the car last month and looked to be on his way to another strong finish once again.
The 35 year-old driver began the sixth Silver Dollar Speedway point race by qualifying seventh fastest in the field and finishing second in his heat race to transfer the JP’s Paint & Body, Medi-Pro Billing No. 35a machine into the main event. Starting seventh on the grid Allard looked very fast right from the get go as he was one of only a few drivers who could run the high side and make it work.
Allard charged around the high side of Willie Croft early on to move into fourth and then closed in on younger brother Jonathan for the third spot. The older Allard put the Watson Carbon Fiber No. 35a sprinter on the cushion once again and got side by side with Jonathan on the fourth lap, but couldn’t make it stick and settled back into fourth.
Just after this something appeared to be wrong with the car as Allard slowed and on a lap eight caution he headed for the pits with a broken front shock. Lee Watson and the Main Motorsports crew went to work on the car and were able to get him back out just in time for the restart. After going back green Allard was carving his way back through the field when he contacted one of the big white tires on the 14th lap, which left him with front end damage and put an end to the night.
Following the disappointing end in Chico Allard traveled down to the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway for the second time this season as he competed aboard the David Key Trucking, Wayne Cox Gunite No. 86. The night of racing marked the 11th event of the Golden State Challenge Series season and Allard cut a 13.886 second lap around the 1/3 mile clay oval in qualifying to place him ninth fastest overall.
A fourth place finish in the nights final heat race put Allard into the dash where he went on and finished eighth, to give him a fourth row starting spot in the main event. The track surface had slicked off all the way to the wall and after battling it out for 30 laps of racing Allard brought the red No. 86 sprint car home in the ninth position. It was nice for Allard to get a full night of racing in with the Golden State Challenge Series as he gets set for a big weekend of action next Friday and Saturday.
The coming weekend will find Allard back behind the wheel of the Main Motorsports No. 35a as he guns for his first win in the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial at the Silver Dollar Speedway. Allard had a very good shot at the winning the Bradway Memorial just a few years ago while driving the Redi-Green Motorsports No. 1k until tough luck took away his shot at the win. On that night he was able to pass brother Jonathan for the lead of the race and looked to be well on way to his biggest career victory when over-heating problems parked him on the infield just a handful of laps short of the checkered.
This season he appears to have one of the his best shots since that year at winning the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial and looks forward to trying to add his name to all-time winners list of the event on Saturday. Allard and the No. 35a team will also be in action on Friday night during a regular weekly Feather Falls Casino point event. For more news and info on defending Silver Dollar Speedway track champion Stephen Allard log onto http://www.stephenallard.com
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Stephen Allard passing brother Jonathan for the lead at the 2005 Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial. He would lead the race until an over heating problem took away his shot at victory. Photo by http://www.mmracingphotos.com
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